cases - page 2

The InkCase adds a second screen to your iPhone 7 Plus

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Inkcase
Why stare at boring aluminum when you can stare at a second display instead?
Photo: Oaxis

We’ve seen Oaxis’ e-ink cases a few times here on Cult of Mac. The InkCase is a relatively slim iPhone case with an e-ink screen embedded in the back, and a Bluetooth connection to the host iPhone. The idea is that you can use the low-power e-ink display that covers its back as an always-on second screen to so that you don’t have to keep waking up your iPhone to check things like shopping lists or calendar events.

And now, the case is available for the iPhone 7 Plus

Sleek iPhone 7 case puts the headphone jack back where it should be

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The biggest problem with the iPhone 7 has been solved.
The biggest problem with the iPhone 7 has been solved.
Photo: Incipio

CES2017 iPhone 7 users no longer must choose between charging their device or listening to headphones, thanks to a new case that restores the headphone jack to its rightful place.

Getting a headphone jack back on the iPhone 7 comes at the cost of some serious bulk, but with Incipio’s new OX case, at least you won’t have to carry around a dongle anymore.

iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case packs more power into its ugly hump

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There's lots of extra juice in the new iPhone case.
There's lots of extra juice in the new iPhone case.
Photo: Apple

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus aren’t the only new Apple products that are getting a solid battery upgrade.

Apple’s new Smart Battery case for the iPhone 7 has a 26% bigger battery than the iPhone 6 and 6s version, giving users the ability to binge on video for a full 24 hours.

Bulletproof iPhone case!? Pitaka Aramid iPhone case [Reviews]

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Cult of Mac
A light-weight, bulletproof iPhone case?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

It’s not often an iPhone case catches my eye. There has to be a standout feature to get me excited about seeing what it has to offer. Whether that’s amazing craftsmanship or a sneaky charging feature, it can’t be ordinary.

At first glance, the Pitaka Aramid case for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus seems just that; ordinary. But the more I read up about what Aramid was, the more I was interested. Check out my full video review below.

Pad & Quill’s new wood cases for iPhone are tougher than steel

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The wood on this case has an almost wax-line finish for scratch-resistance.
The wood on this case has an almost wax-line finish for scratch-resistance.
Photo: Pad & Quill

Longtime Cult of Mac readers know I can be a sucker for wood. It’s a material with integrity, and I like the way it juxtaposes with Apple’s preferred design materials of metal and glass. I loved using Monolith’s beautiful wood veneers with my old iPhone 5. And I can’t wait to try Pad & Quill’s new gorgeous wood cases for the latest iPhones.

Ol’ fumble finger finds perfect protection for his iPhone 6 Plus

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The Otter Box Defender series brings peace of mind.
The Otter Box Defender series brings peace of mind.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Best List: Otter Box Defender Case for iPhone 6 Plus

It happened again yesterday: My beautiful, coveted iPhone 6 Plus found itself airborne, tumbling through time and space. I think it knew where it was headed — I certainly did. I could hear the horrifying noise even before it happened. The inevitable bone-chilling sound of my iOS 9 goodness coming in Force Touch contact with the tile.

I do this often enough to know my cat is running short on lives. This time I lucked out again, but I know the shatter is inevitable. So I’ve turned to the grandfather of iPhone protection: Otter Box and its almost-bombproof Defender series.

Killer cases for your iPhone 6s

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Things are looking rosy for accessory manufacturers, like Spigen, ready to provide cases for the iPhone 6s.
Things are looking rosy for accessory manufacturers, like Spigen, ready to provide cases for the iPhone 6s.
Photo: Spigen

You can almost see the new and improved iPhone 6s in your hands. Now, how about a new case for that gorgeous hunk of gear?

Several companies began showing off cases — everything from luxurious leather accessories to battery-extending packs — for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus following Apple’s big fall products reveal in San Francisco today.

How Apple keeps crappy cases off its shelves

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ipad-case-apple
Apple won't just let any iPhone or iPad case in its retail stores.
Photo: Apple

Apple put up a new page on its website detailing the qualifications that third-party iPhone and iPad accessory makers must meet before the company will start selling those products in retail stores or online in the Apple Store. It’s not exactly the easiest process to meet Apple’s high quality standards. In fact, Apple now touts that these cases are “tested to the limit” before they make it on store shelves.

Cord-protecting Juiceboxx will save you a trip to the Apple Store

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juiceboxx-mac-accessory-cord-no-fray - 1
Juiceboxx is a $20 accessory tha protects your Mac charger from fraying.
Photo: George Tinari/Cult of Mac

My MacBook Air’s charging cord was basically destroyed after only about two years of owning it. I just kept putting black electrical tape around it but that only seemed to make it worse. I finally waved the white flag, went to the Apple Store and bought a new charger for a whopping $79. If you’ve been through this before, listen up, because Juiceboxx will help you out.

Juiceboxx is a plastic case that wraps around your MacBook’s power adapter and forces the cord to point straight forward at the base. That way when you need to wrap it up and go, the cord isn’t dealing with the stress of being bent and twisted. More importantly, your cord won’t fray as it tends to do, leaving you with more money in your pocket and one less trip to the Apple Store.

Back to the Future case turns your iPhone 6 into a time machine

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Bandai's case turn the iPhone into a DeLorean. Photo: Bandai
Bandai's case turn the iPhone into a DeLorean. Photo: Bandai

The iPhone 6 Plus has a hard time sliding into most pants pockets, but if you’d like to make the iPhone 6 Pinch even more unbearable, Bandai is coming out with a new case that transforms your device into the time machine from Back to the Future.

The DeLorean time machine case brings all the incredible details of Marty McFly’s DMC-12 to your iPhone with moving parts like wheels that switch between hover and street modes. The case doesn’t come with actual time-traveling and levitating features, but Bandai did pack in a couple extra goodies.

Stylish cases to cradle your iPhone 6, according to you

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Photo: Hex
Photo: Hex

We got a lot of great feedback from last week’s minimal iPhone 6 case roundup. Many of you suggested other cases to check out, and we got so many good recommendations that we decided to share them with everyone.

Not all of these cases are necessarily super slim and minimal, but they’re worth checking out if you’re in the market for something stylish and functional to cradle your precious iPhone 6 or 6 Plus.

Logitech Hinge is handy but hella heavy

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The Hinge really is at home at home. Photos Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Logitech's Hinge case really is at home when it's at home. Photos: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

An iPad case should:

  1. Protect
  2. Add features
  3. Look good
  4. Not weigh a ton

The Logitech Hinge manages the first three of these, and were it not for the failure on point No. 4, it would be my new favorite case. As it is, the cool Logitech Hinge is my favorite case for using around the house.

Gadget Watch: Keyboards, skateboards, duck heads and drones

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If you like the look of Adobe’s new Creative Cloud apps Sketch and Line, but don’t fancy buying the $200 official stylus to use with them, you should pick up Adonit's new Jot Touch instead. It has a tiny “Pixelpoint” tip instead of a disk or fat rubbery point, and it works just like Adobe’s Ink stylus, letting you copy and paste to/from the Creative Cloud as well as access files and Kuler color palettes. Best of all, it’s just $120.

If you like the look of Adobe’s new Creative Cloud apps Sketch and Line, but don’t fancy buying the $200 official stylus to use with them, you should pick up Adonit's new Jot Touch instead. It has a tiny “Pixelpoint” tip instead of a disk or fat rubbery point, and it works just like Adobe’s Ink stylus, letting you copy and paste to/from the Creative Cloud as well as access files and Kuler color palettes. Best of all, it’s just $120.


Hand-stitched leather case is as classy as the MacBook it protects

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Sharp looks. Photos Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Castello Davarg's leather York case offers sharp looks. Photos: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

I’ve tried a lot of cases for my Mac notebooks over the years, from a dorky aluminum briefcase for my white “icebook” iBook through cheap, zip-up neoprene sleeves and on to bulky, custom-fitted, shock-absorbing monsters. But the elegant, simple and beautiful Castello Davarg York, cut from a single piece of leather, is the only one that makes any sense for my MacBook Air.

Like the MacBook Air inside, you can’t help but finger and fiddle with the York case. It’s cut from 5-ounce, full-grain leather that’s folded and then hand-stitched along two sides before finishing the edges and … well, that’s almost it. The case has no fastening or closure, and lacks a lining or padded interior, but it is shaped perfectly to fit the MacBook Air. (I tested the 13-inch size, but it also comes for the 11-incher.) It even has a little cutout on the top edge that mimics the one found on the lid of the MacBook itself.

Finally, a leather Pad & Quill case that’s light enough for an iPad Air

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Plain and simple. Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
Pad & Quill's beautiful Walden case keeps things plain and simple. Photos: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

The Walden is the first of Pad & Quill’s top-notch cases that I would actually use. That’s because it ditches the wooden frame of the company’s usual bookbindery cases, instead offering a minimal slipcover that uses adhesive strips to hold an iPad Air in place.

The result is a case as beautiful and classic as other P & Q cases, but slim and light enough to match the slender Apple tablet it protects.

Highly specialized Booqpad is either perfect or pointless

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Getting work done. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

I started German language school a few weeks back, and I was looking forward to testing out the Booqpad. The combination iPad case and paper notepad seemed ideal for using in class. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. Not only is the case oddly tacky – especially weird given the build quality of Booq’s other gear – but it is awkward to use.

Moshi’s VersaKeyboard is a fantastic case (and a pretty good keyboard)

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This Moshi keyboard is great even without the keyboard.  Photos Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
This Moshi keyboard is great even without the keyboard. Photos: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

I’m writing this review on a regular, full-size USB keyboard plugged into the Mac. That should be a warning sign right there — after all, this is a review of an iPad keyboard case. But that’s not the whole story. For instance, the case part of the Moshi VersaKeyboard is fantastic — so good that I’ve been using it as my main iPad case since it turned up for testing.

They keyboard is good, too, with keys as responsive as those on Logitech’s Ultrathin keyboard covers. So what’s the problem? Why am I not typing this review on the Moshi? Size.

Cradle your 3DS in this classy cocoon of leather goodness

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Photo: Rob LeFebvre, Cult of Mac
Photo: Rob LeFebvre, Cult of Mac

Of course you have the Nintendo 3DS in your bag — it’s an outstanding handheld gaming system with a bevy of first- and third-party game titles that range from the strategic to the evocative.

You know the device is capable of some brilliant gaming for adults, but good lord, Nintendo, could you maybe bypass the primary colors? Maybe offer, say, a black version? Something in gold, maybe? The sophisticated folks at Waterfield know that you’re a grownup now, so they’ve created the City Slicker, a lush cocoon of a 3DS and 3DS XL case with a proper leather flap that ages along with you.